EARLY JUDAISMMajor Themes of The Hebrew BibleCosmogonic myth: Adam and Eve; creation storyPain and childbirth is a result of the original sinWhy people have to labor for their foodOrigin of common things in humanity“In the beginning the god(S) created the heavens and the Earth”- literal translation; one god or multiple gods?The Flood: Noah’s Arc; the only righteous man to walk the Earth, 2 of every animal…Origin of the rainbowPicture of “Yahweh” - very ambiguous, abstract “force” out there; but described in human terms: “hands of God”Covenant with IsraelVery important; goes back to Abraham; reciprocal relationship; if you obey God he’ll reward youForms backbone of Jewish theologyMoses and the revelation at Mount SinaiIsraelite baby left in the river, found by Egyptian…Burning bush when he runs away; God says his name, learns God’s name: Yahweh- I am“Let my people go”; parting of the red seaLawAt Mount Sinai; ten commandments-basis of Jewish LawTheological laws: only worship one God; verticalEthical laws: other 9 commandments; horizontalWandering in the wilderness and entrance into the landGod condemns the Israelites to wander around in Sinai area until the can enter the “promised land” (Canaan) for one generation because they did not fully obey himJoshua conquers CanaanLeads army of Israelites throughout Canaan with Israelites—“cleanses the land”; basically wipes out all people that live therePart of the second generationLevi: “priestly caste”Priests and ritual sacrificeSacrifice is essential: goes back to the idea of the covenant, maintaining the covenantal balance between them and God; typically blood sacrifice of animals; consumed from fireFormation of the monarchyCrying out to God for a King; God gives them King Sol; quickly removed and replaced with DavidKing David (1000 BCE): begins the Davidic Monarch; looked at as a utopian period that one should strive to return toThe break-up of the Davidic kingdom (721 BCE)David screws up: commits adultery and murders; God punishes David and his lineage; God punishes his descendants when they sin—breakup of the monarchNorthern Kingdom: IsraelSouthern Kingdom: JudahHebrew Bible focuses on what’s happening in JudahGod and the History of IsraelThe political fortunes of the kingdom of Judah understood in terms of covenant obedienceProphets“mouthpieces of Yahweh”; intermediates between Yahweh and JudiansJeremiah: weeping prophet; always ridiculed by the people around himTold the people that because of their disobedience a Babylonian army would come and that they should not put up a fightThe destruction of the Temple and the exile to Babylon (586 BCE); the Davidic monarchy ends for goodBabylonians imprison them and take them to Babylon; remain for a couple of generationsEnd of the exile: Persians conquer the Babylonians; allows Judians to go back homeConstruction of the Second Temple (516 BCE): restore the temple the Babylonians destroyedSecond Temple PeriodBetween the religion of ancient Israel and rabbinic Judaism516 BCE-70 CETraditions that flourish in this periodApocalypticism: end of the worldMessianism: lots of people claiming to be a Messiah (including Jesus); not considered to be as a religious figure, but a political figure; person that was going to reestablish the Davidic monarchy through military force; give the kingdom of Judah independenceLife after death: afterlife to the “land of the dead”; now there are reworkings of afterlife—“heaven and hell”Emergence of the Hebrew Bible as an authoritative text: writings complied into one text; contribute to the reshaping of JudaismHistory of the Second Temple Period516 BCE-332 BCE: Persian rule332 BCE: conquest of Alexander the Great; conquers the Persians; GREEK INFLUENCE; when he died, he distributed his massive empire to some of his generalsPtolemaic (Egypt) and Seleucid (Syria) Empires198 BCE: Seleucids take over Judah; they’re anti-Jewish and their religion; Seleucids are polytheisticAntiochus IV Epiphanes (175-164 BCE): Seleucid kingBegan anti-Jewish policies; put images of Greek deities in the Jerusalem templeMaccabean revolt: tried to drive Seleucids out of Judah; they had enough; they won—miraculous moment where God helped them drive them outBegins period of Hasmonean dynasty: 100 years of very shakey independence (164-63 BCE); high anxiety because there are powers in every direction that could come and conquer themEmergence of the Jewish apocalypses: Jewish literature; becomes very popular because it provides “answers” for what’s going to happen in the futureJewish ApocalypticismImportant genreMost apocalypses NOT in the BibleSome are though: Daniel, 1 Enoch, 4 Ezra, 2 BaruchCharacteristics of Apocalyptic literature:Supernatural revelation; visions: book is named after whoever has these visionsFinal judgment: the way in which things are going to end; evil people will be punished for their sins; good people will be rewardedDualism: things are black and white; you’re either good or evilIntentionally cryptic: the language they use is very cryptic; not straightforward; uses a lot of allegories, symbolisms and metaphors; used because it can include a wide range of interpretationsConcern with the angelic world: elaborate cosmologies; all sorts of angelic figures fighting it out; supernatural creatures that don’t usually exist in the actual religionMany people claiming to be a Messianic figure, although overtly political figure rather than a religious figure. Arises during Second Temple Period.Hebrew Bible arises during Second Temple Period as the single authoritative text of JudaismHOMEWORKWho are the watchers?The sons of heaven, who desired the beautiful daughters, fallen angelsWho are the nephilium?The great giants conceived from the waters and their wives; who would eat men and drink bloodWhat happened to the watchers and nephilium?Sent against each other in a war of destruction, perished, blinded, watchers were imprisoned and nephilium was sent to death, judgment dayWhat kind of world is described at the end?A righteous, pure, blessed, place; trees of joy will be plantedAn Early Jewish Apocalypse: 1 Enoch108 chapters5 separate books; 3rd BCE-1st CEPart of the OT in the Ethiopian ChurchCited in the NT as scripture (Jude)Enoch (man) is the seventh generation after Adam, taken to heaven and shown secrets (how the end will come about) by the angels“the watchers”The Origins of Rabbinic JudaismHow do you
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